Dispensing and display device



1966 A. F. MESSENGER DISPENSING AND DISPLAY DEVICE H mm mm W /771 x W ,fialy Filed Nov. 29, 1963 United States Patent M 3,265,246 DIPENING AND DISPLAY DEVICE Alien F. li iessenger, Racine, Wis, assignor to Walker Manufactnring Qornpany, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Deiaware Fiied Nov. 29, 1953, Ser. No. 326,)81 6 Ciairns. (Cl. 22I283) This invention relates to a dispensing and display device and, more particularly, to a device of this character comprising a rack adapted for association with a carton containing a multiplicity of the articles being dispensed.

While the invention may obviously be employed in connection with the display and dispensing of various types of articles, it finds particular utility in dispensing filters such as oil and fuel filters which are contained in cylindrical cans.

Filters of this general type are not ordinarily individually packaged, but for economical reasons are usually packed in cartons of six or more, usually six. Therefore, when the carton is opened, each filter is ready for immediate use.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a dispenser rack having means whereby a carton of filters may be readily attached thereto in an inverted position, said rack being provided at one end with a basketlike dispensing section and at its other end with means for mounting the rack on a wall or other support. The rack is provided with one or more lugs or tongues adjacent one end thereof for supporting engagement with the lower open end of the carton and with lugs or tongues adjacent its upper end for supporting engagement with slots or apertures in the carton. The extreme upper end of the rack is provided with supporting hooks, eyes or the like to permit it to be hung individually on a wall or other support. The filters or other objects being dispensed move by gravity into the basket or dispensing section as one is removed therefrom.

In consequence of the above, it is an object of this invention to provide a device of this type in which a multiplicity of filters or other objects, packaged in a single carton, may be readily displayed and dispensed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rack of the class described which may be quickly and easily assembled with the carton whereby to facilitate the ready attachment of a full carton thereto and the removal of an empty one therefrom. To enable the upper lugs or tongues to supportingly engage the carton, the carton is provided with knockout portions to produce the slots or apertures. Also, the carton may be provided on one side, preferably the front, with a knockout portion to provide a vertically extending slot providing visual means to check on the number of filters or other articles remaining in the carton during its use as a dispenser.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a dispensing and display device of this type which provides easy and convenient storage space for the filters and provides means whereby the racks may be hung individually or in groups on a wall or the like, high enough to clear the work surface of a counter, yet providing easy access to the filters.

From a merchandising standpoint, the present invention provides means whereby a dealer may conveniently stock a number of different models of filters without utilizing valuable counter space.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which is so reduced in the number and character of its component parts as to approach the ultimate in structural simplicity and thereby creates an economy in its manufacture, maintenance and use.

The various objects and advantages, and the novel de- 3-,Z5,Z4fi Patented August 9, 1966 tails of construction of one commercially practical embodiment of the invention, Will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing and display device constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the rack with the carton removed;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the rack with the carton attached;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 4-4 in FIG- URE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 5-5 in FIG- URE 3.

The dispensing and display device constituting this invention consists of a carton C and a rack R. The carton C is of the usual commercial type and is made of paperboard, fiberboard, or the like, and in the embodiment illustrated it is adapted to contain six or more, usually six, articles A. In the embodiment illustrated, the articles A are shown as oil or gas filters which are contained in cylindrical cans.

Each carton C is provided adjacent one end, here shown as its upper end, with one or more, preferably two, knockout portions Iii, which, when knocked out, provideapertures 11 near the upper end of the container. As is customary, these knockout portions 16 are provided by scoring, or partially cutting the material so that ears 16a formed thereby may be pressed from the plane of the carton to provide the apertures 11.

The lower end of the carton is shown as being provided with the usual side flaps 12 and front and back flaps 13, the front flap 13 having been torn oif or removed in FIGURE 1.

One side of the carton, preferably the front, is provided with a knockout portion which may be removed to form a vertically extending slot V providing visual means to check on the number of filters or other articles remaining in the carton during its use as a dispenser.

The rack R is preferably formed of metal wire, rods, or the like, and consists of a pair of elongated upright members 15 terminating at their upper ends in hook-like members 16 and at their lower ends in curved, substantially horizontal portions 117 terminating in a loop 18 joining the two ends of the portions 17. From the description thus far, it will be obvious that the main portion of the rack,

consisting of the upright members 15, the hooks 16, the

substantially horizontal portions 17 and the loop 18, may be formed from a single length of wire or rod bent in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Welded to the upright rack members 15 adjacent the horizontal portions 17 is a substantially rectangular frame 19 formed of one piece of wire or rod. This frame 19 is welded to the upright members 15 adjacent the lower ends thereof and to the loop 18 and, together with the horizontal portions 17, forms a basket-like member or dispensing section D for the articles A.

Secured to each upright member 15, adjacent the upper ends thereof, is a lug, ear or tongue 20 secured thereto as, for instance, by welding or brazing, as indicated at 21.

Secured to the substantially rectangular frame 19 between the upright members 15 is an elongated lug or tongue 22. This may be secured to the frame member by Welding, or brazing, or the like, as indicated at 23.

The upper lugs or tongues 20 are adapted to engage the apertures 11 in the carton, and the lug or tongue 22 is adapted to engage the lower open end of the carton C.

The rack may be quickly and easily attached to the carton in the following manner: The outer flap 13 is torn away, as may also be the rear flap 13, although in the drawings this flap is shown as folded back against the carton. The rack R is then engaged with the carton by sliding the tongue or lug 22 intothe carton through the open lower end thereof. After the lug or tongue 22 is initially engaged with the carton, the lugs 20 are in position to be inserted into the openings 11 located adjacent the top of the carton. Thus, the attachment of the rack to the carton may be accomplished all in one operation. The rack and carton are then supported in an upright position on a wall or the like "by engaging the hooks 16 with a rod, eyes, or other supporting means secured to the wall or other supporting surface. This positions the carton C in a vertical position with its open end extending downwardly into position to discharge the articles A into the basket-like member of the dispensing section D. The basket-like portion D is of sufiicient size to allow two of the articles A to enter and be deposited therein. As each article A is removed from the dispensing section, another one moves into place by gravity until the carton is empty. Thereafter, the rack may be quickly and easily disengaged from the empty carton, as will be obvious.

This dispenser rack provides efficient and convenient storage means for the articles being dispensed and the racks may be hung individually or mounted in groups. Obviously, the racks may be mounted high enough on the wall behind a counter so as to clear the work surface of the counter yet offer easy access to the articles.

It will also be noted that the rack consists of two main sections which may be conveniently formed by bending a suitable wire or rod and the parts may be quickly and easily united 'by welding, brazing, or the like. The lower lug or tongue 22 is readily engageable with the lower open end of the carton and after initial engagement with the carton, the upper lugs or tongues 20 are in position for insertion into the perforations or slots 11. The device is so reduced in the number and character of its component parts as to approach the ultimate in structural simplicity and thereby creates an economy in its manufacture, maintenance, and use.

While one commercially practical embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated herein somewhat in detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispensing and display device adapted to be used with a carton containing a plurality of articles to be dispensed, a carton having an open lower end and a perforation adjacent its other end, a wire rack having spaced upwardly extending tongues secured thereto for detachably engaging the open end and perforation of said carton to hold said carton in an upright position whereby the articles therein may move by gravity through the open end thereof, and a horizontally disposed dispensing portion at the lower end of said rack to receive and permit the removal of said articles.

2. In a dispensing and display device adapted to be used with a carton containing a plurality of articles to be dispensed, a carton having an open lower end and a perforation adjacent its other end, a wire rack having vertically spaced upwardly extending tongues secured thereto for detachably engaging the open end and perforation of said the lower end of said rack to receive and permit the removal of said articles, and hook-like means at the upper end of said rack for supporting the same.

3. In a dispensing and display device adapted to be used with a carton containing a plurality of articles to be dispensed, a carton having an open lower end and a perforation adjacent its other end, a wire rack having vertically spaced upward extending tongues secured thereto for detachably engaging the open end and perforation of said carton to hold said carton in an upright position whereby the articles therein may move by gravity through the open end thereof, a horizontally disposed dispensing portion at the lower end of said rack to receive and permit the removal of said articles, and a hook-like member at the upper end of said rack for removably supporting said rack on a wall or the like.

4. A dispensing and display device comprising in combination a carton containing a plurality of articles to be dispensed, said carton having an open lower end and an aperture formed by a knockout portion adjacent its upper end, a rack member comprising upright members and a substantially horizontally extending portion connected thereto at the lower end of said upright members, and carton supporting lugs carried by said rack member engaging the open end of said carton and said aperture to support said carton in an upright position with said horizontally extending portion of the rack member adjacent said open end whereby the articles in the carton may move by gravity into said horizontally extending portion.

5. A device as described in claim 4 in which the carton is provided with a knockout portion to provide a vertically extending slot to provide means for visually checking the number of articles remaining in the carton.

6. A dispensing and display device comprising in combination a carton containing a plurality of articles to be dispensed, said carton having an open lower end and an aperture adjacent its upper end formed by a knockout portion, a rack member comprising a pair of upright wire members and a substantially horizontally extending portion connected thereto at the lower end of said upright members to form a delivery portion, a lower carton supporting lug engaging the open end of said carton, and an upper carton supporting lug engaging said aperture to support said carton in an upright position whereby the articles therein may move by gravity into said delivering portion, said lower supporting lug being longer than said upper supporting lug whereby said lower supporting lug engages the open end of said carton before said upper supporting lug engages said aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,627,870 5/1927 Seidemann 31245 2,119,700 6/1938 Burgess 31245 X 2,692,053 10/1954 Calhoun et al 21149 2,744,634 5/1956 Conley 221-311 2,859,897- 11/1958 Hartman 221-l55 X 2,860,941 11/1958 Fromwiller 22l-198 X 3,010,606 11/1961 Heselov 221-311 X 3,184,104 5/1965 DeDomenico et al. 22192 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,293 12/1938 Great Britain.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. IN A DISPENSING AND DISPLAY DIVICE ADAPTED TO BE USED WITH A CORTON CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES TO BE DISPENSED, A CARTON HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END AND A PERFORATION ADJACENT ITS OTHER END, A WIRE RACK HAVING SPACED UPWARDLY EXTENDING TONGUES SECURED THERETO FOR DETACHABLY ENGAGING THE OPEN END AND PERFORATION OF SAID CARTON TO HOLD SAID CARTON IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WHEREBY THE ARTICLES THEREIN MAY MOVE BY GRAVITY THROUGH THE OPEN END THEREOF, AND A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED DISPENSING PORTION AT THE LOWER END OF SAID RACK TO RECEIVE AND PERMIT THE REMOVAL OF SAID ARTICLES. 